Thermally reversible gelling or thickening of organic solvents or water by low molecular weight thickener or gelators is of particular interest for hardening of spilled fluids and cooking oils, thickening of paints, cosmetic materials and several other technical applications. The self-assembly of these gelator/thickener molecules occurs by means of non-covalent interactions such as hydrophobic interactions, π-π interactions, electronic interactions, hydrogen bonding or combinations thereof. Although several gelator/thickener molecules have been identified during the last decade, there is still interest in stable gelator/thickeners that can be synthesized easily from cheap, renewable sources and gelate or thicken a wide variety of solvents.
WO 03/084508 describes trisubstituted cyclohexane compounds that may act as a gelator. These compounds, suitable as a gelator, are symmetrical in the sense that each of the substituents (Xn—Amn—Yn) comprises an amino acid or oligopeptide moiety (Am). Although the substituents may be different, it is preferred that they are the same.
WO 03/084508 also describes the compound
as a prodrug. The use of this compound as a gelator or thickening agent is not suggested. Rather, in order to make a stable gel, the prodrug is mixed with a gelator.